Urban Furniture: Benches

Urban furniture is the set of elements that are fixed or semi-fixed in public spaces, such as benches, lighting fixtures, drinking fountains, signage, among others. These are installed in order to offer a better quality of life to the users of a community. Their misuse, such as sleeping on them, caused that uncomfortable and small-sized benches were installed for many years, turning them into solitary and exclusive elements. Furthermore, from the 19th century, with the appearance of mass production, very similar seats were designed, being mostly made of wood and iron, which resulted in the lack of character and identity in the public areas of the towns.

“Banca Hexa”. Design awarded with the 3rd place in the Professional Category of the 1st International Design Competition for Urban Furniture Made of Concrete. Designed by: Eunice María Avid Nava Modelado. 3d Model: Raúl Vásquez Hernández.

 

Currently, thanks to the use of different materials and the concern of designing ergonomic furniture, there are seats with different dimensions, colors, inclinations, shapes, with or without backrest, with lighting, multifunctional, sculptural, etcetera.

“Buzz Bike Bench”. By: Luxx box. Photography: https://www.luxxbox .com/product/buzz-bike-bench/

 

“Parametric Bench”. Designed by: ULUM Architec, Vaym Mylostiuk. Photography: https://www.behance.net/mylostiuk_vadym

 

Urban banks allow us to enjoy parks, gardens, streets and trails in a more comfortable way, as they provide a place of rest, relaxation and contemplation.

“High Line, New York.” Photography: David Berkowitz from New York, NY, USA – https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidberkowitz/5923557984/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32427979

 

Whether they have a way to blend in with the design of a project or to use them as an element that stands out or contrasts with the rest of the development, there is no doubt that the tendency is to design unique elements that respond to the need of a specific community, the designers have taken on the task of projecting benches that help social welfare, as well as being comfortable and inclusive, often turning them into identity elements of a city.

Vauquelin Square benches. Montreal, Canada.